I believe that it is essential to appreciate our potential as human beings and recognize the importance of inner transformation…. The Dalai Lama

Lightning and thunder and rainstorms are the hallmark of Cauac. These remind me of an awesome experience I had with these elemental forces in the Homolovi Ruins of Arizona during a vision quest. As I’ve said, my venerable Elder, Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha, teaches that there is intelligence everywhere in nature. Developing an appreciation, and knowing how to “relate” to these Intelligences is a major part of inner transformation.

The Homolovi Ruins are within state park lands north of Winslow, AZ. They are in rugged, windswept terrain, with awesome mesas, cliffs and rolling hills—typical of that part of the southwest. The Hopi consider the ruins to have been the home of their Hopi ancestors.

We spent a good deal of time amongst the ruins, imagining the ways the People may have lived. Grandmother gave us extraordinary insights and visions of these People. But at one point, she sent us off to sit on some awesome cliffs. We had walkie-talkies, so she sat at some distance and talked us through this adventure. I’ll not share with you all the details, as they are personal and part of the magic of a vision quest. But I can give you the following:

We were instructed, to begin with, to sit meditatively and consider some of our life challenges and goals. As we sat, a HUGE storm blew in. Despite whatever fears we might have of such things—and contrary to what we’d all been taught by our parents–we remained on the cliffs throughout the storm, smack dab in the downpour and lightning. What power! What Beauty! OMG. We shouted out certain things, did certain things……and then the clouds parted. One giant gray mass of clouds split apart, one moving East, the other West….like no storm clouds ought to do!

When we finished, we gathered again in our group. When we first saw each other, we laughed and laughed. All the hairs on our heads were sticking straight out! We were, so to speak, “electrified.” My hair was about a foot long and lots of it just floated in the air. And when we shared our experiences with Grandmother and each other, one Brother said it all: “I was the lightning!”

The inspiration to change and transform that I took home with me after that wonderful trip stays with me. And many a time since—when I was at home in my woods in West Virginia—I’ve stood out in the lightning and thunder and danced.